What You Do:

Have each of your students cut out a rectangular piece of black felt, a little less than the height of the water bottle, and about as wide as the water bottle.

The students can roll the rectangle lengthwise to insert it into the water bottle. They should use a pencil or gently shake the bottle to open up the felt inside. This will be the back of the penguin.

Ask students to fill the bottle with cotton balls or fiberfill, making sure to keep the black felt against the back of the bottle. They should use the pencil to adjust the cotton or felt as necessary.

Have the students cut wings and feet out of the black felt, as shown. They should cut a beak shape out of orange felt.

Now the students can glue the wings to the sides of the bottle.

Have your students glue the black feet to the base of the bottle so they stick out from underneath.

Students then cut another rectangle out of the black felt to create the penguin's head. The rectangle should be long enough to wrap around the cap of the water bottle, and about twice as tall as the cap, as shown.

Next, students can add some glue to the side of the cap and place it on the bottom right corner of the felt, with the edge of the open side of the cap aligned with the edge of the felt. They should add a line of glue across the bottom of the felt, then roll the cap so the felt wraps around it.

When the glue is dry and the black felt is attached securely to the cap, the students can screw the cap onto the water bottle.

Have your students glue on the orange beak and the two googly eyes to make the penguin's face. Then they can glue a feather to the inside of the rolled felt to decorate the penguin's head.